Journey: The Uckermark - The Upper Havel to Fürstenberg and the Lychener Seenkreuz

• Here you can find the first part of the journey: Idyll, industrial history and the waters of Templin

The Upper Havel: unspoilt nature wherever you look

We take a slightly longer lunch break at the waiting area before the Schorfheide lock due to a roadworks closure. The mobile phone shows zero bars and the WLAN cube on board also searches in vain for a network. The many blank spots on the map of the Uckermark force us to slow down.

But after just under two hours, everything suddenly happens very quickly. Within minutes, the heavy equipment is removed and the signalling station switches to "lock being prepared". Before us lies what is probably the most beautiful navigable stretch of water in the north-east. Loop after loop, the river meanders here for 30 kilometres through dense forest and unspoilt countryside. Large white-yellow carpets of water lilies and water lilies cover the clear water on the banks. The natural course of the river makes you forget that you are on a developed waterway, so invisible are the bank defences behind the reeds and foliage. Our journey is only interrupted by the two sleepy locks Zaaren and Regow in the middle of the countryside. We press the self-service lever and wait for the lock gates to open. Not a soul far and wide. In Regow, the silence is broken by the bleating of shaggy goats that eye us curiously from the fence. The Capriolenhof farm (www.capriolenhof.de) right next to the lock sells all kinds of goat's cheese. Unfortunately, the farm shop is only open at weekends. After a wonderfully relaxing three hours through the countryside, we reach Bredereiche, which feels like civilisation again.

Fürstenberg: The gateway to the Mecklenburg Lake District

We cross the Stolpsee and head for Fürstenberg, the most north-westerly point of our trip. "Germany's only water town" is surrounded by the Havel and picturesquely situated on three islands between Röblinsee, Baalensee and Schwedtsee. From here, where Brandenburg merges into Mecklenburg, the Mecklenburg Kleinseenplatte begins. For us, this is the most north-westerly point of this trip.

Read our trip report here Mecklenburg Kleinseenplatte - Golden times

The small town is surrounded on all sides by crystal-clear bathing lakes and pristine forests. No wonder the area is particularly popular with water tourists. The small town benefits from its unique location. Situated just 80 kilometres north of Berlin, it offers many city dwellers the ideal base for nature and adventure holidays. However, apart from the market square ensemble with the neo-Gothic town church, there is not much to see in the town itself. Opposite the town, on the north-eastern shore of Lake Schwedt, is the memorial site of the Ravensbrück women's concentration camp. A depressing place and a dark contrast in the seemingly innocent natural surroundings. (Information and opening times: www.ravensbrueck.de)

The next day, we head east again to explore the Lychener Seenkreuz to the north-east. Our next destination is the small village of Himmelpfort, where the Lychener Gewässer branches off from the Stolpsee. As we cross the Stolpsee, the wind picks up - a clear challenge for the crews of three houseboats, who are trying to manoeuvre their rafts through the narrow bridge passage to the lock undamaged when we arrive at the waiting point. We tie up at the request lever and wait for the counter lock. If you want to pay a visit to the Christmas post office, for which the small monastery village is famous, you can moor at the jetty on the opposite side. Mooring here costs a flat rate of 5 euros for short moorings over 6 metres. Those wishing to stay overnight pay 2.50 euros per metre. Payment is made using the forms provided and a letterbox at the sanitary facilities.

Letters to Father Christmas

Speaking of letterboxes: 40 years ago, two letters from children to Father Christmas arrived in Himmelpfort, then still in the GDR, for the first time and were answered by a post office employee. Since then, the number of wish lists in letterboxes has steadily increased, so much so that Deutsche Post has employed staff to answer the letters since 1995. In 2020, there were already 320,000 letters from around 78 countries. A trip to Santa's "writing room" is a whimsical experience, especially in summer.

The road bridge directly in front of the lock in Himmelpfort is indicated on the map with a clearance height of 3.60 metres. We anxiously try to estimate the height of our canopy. But an oncoming boat seems to be higher. We take the plunge and slowly feel our way closer. In an emergency, back up and lay the canopy. With the mast lowered, we glide under the bridge at a snail's pace and breathe a sigh of relief: There is just under 15 centimetres of air between the tarpaulin and the concrete ceiling. After crossing the Haussee, the Woblitz, which connects the Haussee with the Großer Lychensee, is another highlight of the route ahead of us.

The river winds its way in tight bends through steep, densely wooded slopes. From time to time, the sun flashes through the dense foliage above us.

At river kilometre 4, a sign asks you to sound a signal. There is a blind S-bend ahead of us and oncoming passenger boats are not uncommon. In our case, however, there is no response from the forest. After three kilometres, the forest clears and the Woblitz opens up to Lake Lychen.

Lychen: Rafting tradition and modern harbour ambience

The Lychen town harbour only reopened in summer 2023. With great attention to detail, the new operator has created a modern maritime ambience that invites you to linger. The wood-clad container building offers exceptional burger creations and pinsa, cakes and regional products. The roof terrace invites you to enjoy a sundowner and savour the Lychen gin. Shortly after our trip, however, we learn from the current operator that he will have to give up at the end of the year. The successor has not yet been finalised.

The rafting town of Lychen is nestled between seven lakes. Traces of the rafting trade, which characterised the region for centuries, can be found in many places. Forest owners used the waterway to transport timber to the neighbouring sawmills. The logs were transported to Berlin and Hamburg on rafts, some of which were up to 200 metres long and coupled together. The last raft left Lychen in 1968, but the Lychener Flößer association is reviving the tradition in the rafting museum and at the annual rafting festival on the first weekend in August. Also worth seeing are the medieval town fortifications and the early Gothic parish church of St Johannis from the 13th century. The people of Lychen are also proud of the inventor of the "Pinne", who lived here. However, this was not the tiller for steering a boat, but the tack. Allegedly, the clockmaker Johann Kirsten once sold the invention to a manufacturer out of financial necessity, who then became rich with it. Whether this Johann Kirsten really existed and whether he lived here is now disputed. What is certain is that Otto Lindstedt from Lychen patented the tiller in 1904.

The next day we set off on the return journey. We have 45 kilometres and 5 locks ahead of us. As we pass Himmelpfort, it starts to rain and as we cross Lake Stolpsee, we use the windscreen wipers for the first time on our journey. Dark clouds gather at the western end of the lake and we hear thunder rumbling in the distance. On the last few kilometres, the Uckermark once again shows us its not-so-quiet side. But after so much deceleration, nothing can disturb us.